Consequences of infertility in developing countries

Creating offspring is the most cherished achievements and joys for every mankind. This is especially true in developing countries, where having children is considered to make life complete and meaningful. Likewise, offspring are very important to Vietnamese couples, their future depends on children. Therefore, a research study was done in the South of Vietnam to improve knowledge about the potentially serious implications of infertility. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data to explore the psychological, socio-cultural and economic consequences of infertility on couples life.

The findings of this study showed that both men and women had same opinion in their responses and attitudes towards infertility. The interviewed participants mentioned that they had experienced secrecy, social pressure and economic hardship. About one-third of the participants had required psychological support.

The study basically concludes by emphasizing the importance of psychological counseling in the treatment of infertile couples in the South of Vietnam, which can very well be applied to other countries as well.  It should be realized that in developing countries infertility causes distressing social and economical burden which needs attention.

Reference: Nicole, J Wiersema., Anouck, J Drukker., Mai Ba, Tien Dung., Giang Huynh, Nhu., Nguyen Thanh, Nhu., and Cornelis, B Lambalk. 2006. Consequences of infertility in developing countries: results of a questionnaire and interview survey in the South of Vietnam, Journal of Translational Medicine 4:54.